Former UFC women`s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is currently undecided about her fighting career following her recent bout.
Tate, nicknamed “Cupcake,” competed earlier this month at UFC Des Moines, where she suffered a unanimous decision loss to Yana Santos. This appearance marked her return to the octagon after a 17-month hiatus, which began after her submission win over Julia Avila at UFC Austin in July 2022 (correcting the original date).
In a video shared on Instagram, Tate disclosed that she sustained a significantly painful injury during that victory over Avila.
“I had my hooks in on her back, one of which was a bit shallow, and I really went to be very aggressive to try to force her from back to belly, belly down, and I ripped two of my ligaments and I had to have reconstructive surgery,” Tate explained. “It was by far the hardest thing I`ve ever had to do. It was harder than coming back after having my two kids, and I, at multiple points, bawled my eyes out and thought I would never be able to fight again — which I really wanted to have that fight.”
Despite the loss to Santos and the extensive layoff resulting from the injury, Tate expressed satisfaction with her performance.
“And after an 18-month layoff, [and] the biggest injury of my career, I can honestly say that I am happy with this performance, and I am happy, even in a loss.”
Tate had previously announced her retirement at UFC 205 in November 2016 after a decision loss to Raquel Pennington. The 38-year-old fighter returned almost five years later and has compiled a 2-3 record since her comeback, which includes a win against Marion Reneau in July 2021.
As of now, Tate remains undecided about whether her recent loss to Santos will be her final professional fight.
“I am not making any final decisions,” Tate stated. “It remains to be seen whether I will fight again or not. I`m not going to clarify either of those because I think there is no right or wrong answer.”
